Mr Brian Humphreys epub Major Daniel O'Connor - The 'Posy' Captain and his orphaned siblings: The life story of Major Daniel O’Connor 1834 - 1925 Company ‘D’ 90th Illinois ... of the Irish Legion’) (The O'Connor Orphans)

The Great Irish Famine of the early 1840s was encroaching. The O’Connor family with seven children set sail in a 'Coffin Ship' for the plains of North America to build a new life in farming. Mum, Dad and baby James died of disease during their venture which left six orphaned children stranded in a foreign land at Quebec, Canada, where they spoke French.The second youngest Luke was so traumatised that he was repatriated to Ireland. In 1849, he enrolled into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in London where he was then being cared for by an uncle. Five years later, he found himself fighting in the Crimean War. His gallant actions led to him becoming the first soldier to win the Victoria Cross. His life story is told by the same author in the book ‘From Irish Orphan to VC Hero’.Meanwhile, the remaining five siblings led by the eldest, the sisters, Catherine and Margaret reached what was to be their parents’ destination at Spring Prairie, Wisconsin. There, they married and successfully raised their families. When old enough, the boys, Patrick, Thomas and Daniel drifted towards Illinois where, in a suburb of Chicago called Joliet, Patrick and Daniel became successful entrepreneurs. But then came the Civil War in which Daniel played a significant part. He not only built his own ‘Company D’ of the 90th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment but his brave actions left him for dead on the Missionary Ridge battlefield. As a term of endearment, he had earned the nickname of ‘The 'Posy' Captain because he was always to be found with a flower (posy) on the lapel of his jacket.The author has researched each of the siblings in depth but swings the spotlight onto Daniel who was not only promoted to Major on mustering out of the war, but having fought the armies of the Confederacy, he chose to reside at the Confederate city of Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was later to marry the daughter of a Confederate Major. Though they may have been in spasmodic touch with Luke, neither he nor his US based siblings had met him since he left them to return to Ireland. About 50 years had passed since then and Luke had been knighted and retired with the rank of Major General to command the Regiment he had joined as a boy. The highs and the lows of Luke's visit to meet up with his siblings is described in every detail. Tears may fall!Both books are a chronicle of ‘service’ and explain in detail, the traumas that, unlike any orphan today they faced in adversity to rise to such heights of success. A remarkable scrutiny of their lives and with such a wide separation, their lives can be read independently of each other or in series with little duplication.